In the recent DMCA ruling, the Library of Congress has affirmed on 26th July 2010 that jailbreaking is legal(“Fair Use”) under the U.S. Copyright Law.  So, Jailbreaking your iPhone or any other mobile device for that matter will no longer violate federal copyright law effective 26th July 2010. Under this ruling, it is also legal for users to unlock their devices in order to switch mobile operators.  Below are some frequently asked questions on jailbreak. You may want to go thru it thoroughly before making a decision whether to jailbreak your iPhone or not.  :-)

What does Jailbreak really means?

Jailbreaking is a process of modifying the firmware on the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to allow users to run third-party unsigned codes  on their devices. In short, jailbreaking simply means hacking the iPhone to free it from Apple restrictions. After jailbreaking, users can have the access to the root level of the devices’ operating system. Once jailbroken, iPhone users are able to download many extensions and themes previously unavailable through the App Store via unofficial installers such as Cydia. A jailbroken iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch is still able to use the Apps Store and iTunes.

Is Jailbreak reversible?

Yes, Jailbreak is reversible. Just make sure you backup all your data using iTunes before you jailbreak your device. In the event that you feel that the device is performing less than optimum compared to before jailbreaking and you would like to reverse your decision, you can re-connect your device to your computer, sync and press “Restore” in iTunes.

What are the common reasons to Jailbreak your iPhone?

1. Cool Jailbroken iPhone Apps. This is probably the biggest motivation for iPhone users to Jailbreak their iPhone. There are many cool Jailbroken Apps to choose from. Below are some examples(just to name a few):-

• Cycorder – Allows your iPhone 2G or 3G to have video camera capability
• MyWi – Allows users of iPhone to convert their device to be a Wifi hotspot
• My3G – Tricks the iPhone into believing that it has a Wifi connection on a 3G network to enable Apps to work on 3G networks. This will also allow Facetime Video over 3G on the iPhone 4.
• WinterBoard – Allows customization of the Springboard on your iPhone to enable easy installation of custom themes, wallpapers, sounds etc
• iBluetooth – Enables iPhones to send data, photos etc via bluetooth among iPhone users
• Screesplitr – Allows the screen on the iPhone to be displayed/mirrored on your computer or laptop.
• MxTube – download Youtube videos into your iPhone for easy retrieval

2.  It is fast and easy to jailbreak your iPhone

3.  It is fully reversible.

4.  To unlock your iPhone so that it can be used with other mobile operators – This should not be an issue in Malaysia as Malaysian operators are not allowed to lock their iPhones by SKMM regulations. This is more for overseas eg the U.S. where iPhones are currently offered through AT&T only. By jailbreaking the iPhone, users can use their device on any networks.

What are the common reasons NOT to Jailbreak your iPhone?

1.  Security concerns. MacRumors discovered a flaw in the jailbreaking process that allows hackers to remotely plant malware onto a user’s device.

2.  Unstability of the device. Apple’s stringent qualification of the application selection ensures that only good, stable Apps make it to Apple’s Apps store. With the jailbreak, developers bypass this process and may result in Applications not being properly screened and qualified before it is being made available to the users for download. Some apps have been made available to download even when there are bugs in the codes.

3.  Bricking. Users may experience “bricking”. Bricking happens when your iPhone or any mobile device has been tampered and makes your phone unusable and requires a complete wipe and restore to make it functional again. When this happens, you will need to restore the iPhone to the factory settings again to undo the bricking.

4.  Voiding warranty on your iPhone. While it is now legal to jailbreak your iPhone, Apple “reserves the right” to void the warranty on the iPhone that is found to be jailbroken. “reserves the right” is in inverted commas because i have personally known friends who have successfully claimed for warranty even after jailbreaking their devices. As a general rule, any jailbroken devices are not supposed to be covered by warranty. You may of course try your luck to restore back to the factory settings before claiming warranty but do not take it for granted.

If after considering all the pros and cons and you still want to go ahead to jailbreak your iPhone, the following will help you to jailbreak your device.

How to jailbreak your iPhone?

There are multiple ways to jailbreak your iPhone. Below are some of the ways:-

• Using Blackra1n to jailbreak your iPhone

• Using RedsnOw to jailbreak your iPhone

• Using Spirit to jailbreak your iPhone

• Using Jailbreakme.com to jailbreak your iPhone (probably the easiest to do)

Alternatively, if you find that jailbreaking the iPhone is too intimidating to you, one of my friend is offering the jailbreak service and can do it for you if you are located in Penang. Below are the charges and the services that he can provide to you:-